Book Review: Orville and Wilbur

Kitty Hawk- 1903 Wright Flyer Soars

    Author Fred Howard wrote a comprehensive and insightful biography of two of America's most famous brothers: Orville and Wilbur Wright.  These two invented manned flight at a time when scientists projected the skill would not come to mankind for a million years.   Mr. Howard was a aviation technology expert.  After flying during WW II, he went to work as a librarian at the Library of Congress; then at the Smithsonian Museum helping to edit and coordinate the Wright Brothers papers.
     As an editor for various scientific publications, author Howard became adept at separating facts from fiction, and also being able to translate weighty science theory into comprehensible English.   he worked for several publishing houses in this role.   He worked on this biography for over 15 years and wrote the wonderful story of two American men, who, without formal education, were able to conduct experiments with a only their imagination and determination as the foundation of their works.
     Growing up in Dayton, Ohio, sons of a religious minister, they were the essence of hardworking, can-do American citizens.   Beginning with bicycles, they worked on the concept of flight, studying bird flight, and earlier experiments of flying machines.  Early on, they married the physics of motorized propulsion and momentum with the lifting characteristics of a curved surface(wing).   After years of trying, they finally succeeded at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, in the early winter of 1903.
     Author Howard tells the story in great detail.  He brings in the doubters(early guilters), the pretenders and charlatans,  and the also-rans.  Glenn Curtis, Charles Lindbergh,  Louis Bleriot', Alberto Santos Dumont, Octave Chanute, and the fakirs Augustus Herring and Gustave Whitehead.  This book was published almost 30 years ago, at a time when many citizens could recall the early days of flight.  It has much more detail than a more recent history published by historian David McCullough.
      Unknown to the average American is the aftermath of the first flight.  Legal wrangling over patent rights consumed much of the Wright brothers later years.   Many pretenders tried to steal the thunder of the Wrights accomplishments, claiming earlier flying success.  All adds up to a wonderful story told by an accomplished writer/historian.
5 Stars/ worth the effort